Odisha: Prasad Harichandan to remain OPCC-President; RaGa rejects Prasad's resignation
Congress President Rahul Gandhi has rejected the resignation of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) President Prasad Harichandan. Harichandan, who resigned on 28 February owning moral responsibility for Congress's miserable show in the Bijepur by-election, will remain in the post until the next general election, Congress sources said. Congress, which won the Bijepur seat the last time lost its deposit in the by-poll. Here's more.
Harichandan became OPCC President in 2014
Harichandan took over as OPCC Chief in Dec'14. He's been facing opposition from within the party since last year's Panchayat election where Congress was pushed to the third position after BJP emerged as number two. ''AICC did not accept the resignation of Harichandan as Odisha Congress President. Rahul Gandhi wants him to continue as the OPCC President,'' OPCC Disciplinary Committee Chairperson Sandhya Mohapatra said.
Why did Rahul decide to retain Prasad as OPCC President?
According to OPCC's Sandhya Mohapatra, Rahul Gandhi feels that as the general elections are most likely to be held in the next eight to nine months, it will not be possible for a new OPCC President to deal with the election situation within the short period. Gandhi, therefore, decided to retain Harichandan as the OPCC President till the next general election, Mohapatra added.
Congress finished third in Bijepur by-poll; candidate lost deposit
While BJD candidate Rita Sahu bagged 102,871 votes, BJP candidate Ashok Panigrahi bagged 60,938 votes in the recent Bijepur by-election. The Congress had, however, finished a distant third with the party candidate Pranaya Sahu bagging a paltry 10,274 votes. The Congress candidate even lost his deposit though the party had won the Bijepur seat in 2004, 2009, and 2014 elections.
